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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-06-2013 04:04 PM

hbosman

When I started using STS about a year ago, it lowered my KH from 5 to 4 and no change in my GH. After about a month, my KH stopped lowering. So, its bubbering ability is only temporary in my estimation.

02-06-2013 03:37 PM

somewhatshocked

It's not something I would use long-term for anything other than the hardy species like Neos, Amano and such.

Great in general for planted tanks, though. Best $5 I've ever spent on a planted tank.

Just picked up a bag of this at the local TSC. Ive heard a lot of good things about it and plan to try it in a shrimp tank soon.

02-06-2013 03:11 PM

Drewsplantednutz

I just setup a 40g with about 25-30 lbs of STS (I think its too much sub, about 1.5-2 inched in the front and like 3-4 inches in the back, i threw some bacopa in the deep part when I was setting it up and half of it is melting away) , going on 12 days now and cant get the ph above 5.5. Ive added nuetral regulator like everyother day, and it will go up to 6.8 and right back down in a hour or two. The only thing ive been adding is prime to my tap which is 7.2, gh 5-6, kh 2-3, tds 220, and my tank is at 5.5, gh 2-3, kh 0-1, tds 400+ due to all the regulator I added and Seachem Stability which i think is the culprit for my ph. Do I need to get my kh up to stablize the ph better or let it run for a few more weeks with no more nuetral regulator?

02-03-2013 09:01 PM

RyUGuy

Maybe I just did not have enough STS to water ratio. I will add more and see what happens.

02-03-2013 05:14 PM

Diana

STS works very fast to remove KH.
Tap: about 4 degrees KH.
Tank (88 gallon tank) with STS (40 lbs, new) hits zero in just a couple of days.
When I add baking soda to restore the KH to about 3-4 degrees it again hits zero in just a few days.

How large is your tank? What was the ratio of water to substrate (how much water and how much substrate?) were you using for your test?

That's not too much of a change. Especially if your KH is that high.

Though, you definitely should not be using pH Down in a healthy tank. Allow your tank to settle where it settles and go from there. Don't use additives like pH Down, which are just temporary chemicals that could end up harming your livestock.

What kind of critters do you want to keep in the tank?

125g I tried to make the ratio of water to substrate about what it would be in the tank just on visual basis so it could be off based on that. The fact that it didint really do anything after a week just seamed odd based on what I have read other people post.

I could get nothing to grow, fish or plants before I used pH down. Since then my fish have been doing well. I do it regularly enough with precise measurements of amounts each time I do a water change so the tank does not fluctuate (which I check frequently) Yes I would prefer to not use it but any plants I would put in it before would die literally as you sat there and watched it. Have not lost a fish in probably 9-10 months. I have platy's, turquoise rainbows, a rope fish, stripped raphael, small school of cories, bristlenose pleco, 3 pictus (enough caves for each to have one).

02-02-2013 05:51 PM

ric44

Just picked up a bag of this at the local TSC. Ive heard a lot of good things about it and plan to try it in a shrimp tank soon.

02-02-2013 02:28 PM

somewhatshocked

How large is your tank? What was the ratio of water to substrate (how much water and how much substrate?) were you using for your test?

That's not too much of a change. Especially if your KH is that high.

Though, you definitely should not be using pH Down in a healthy tank. Allow your tank to settle where it settles and go from there. Don't use additives like pH Down, which are just temporary chemicals that could end up harming your livestock.

What kind of critters do you want to keep in the tank?

02-02-2013 03:26 AM

RyUGuy

Safe T Sorb lowered GH but not KH?

So I am in preparation for switching out my substrate with Safe T Sorb.

I tested my water today to compare Tap, STS & Tank.

I thought from previous post about STS that it will lower the KH but not mess with the GH, well mine didn't really do anything to KH but lowered the GH by 1. I let the STS water absorb for a week, does it take longer for it to take effect? It did lower the pH a little though.